Alfa Romeo Badge History Badge History The Alfa Romeo badge bearing the heraldic insignia of the serpent and cross is one of the worlds most distinctive automotive emblems. Its creation was the responsibility of Giuseppe Merosi, who also designed the first Alfa car for production in 1910. Both the central elements of the badge are ancient symbols of the city of Milan. The red cross on the white field dates from the era of the Crusades but can still be seen on city buses and football insignia today. The serpent swallowing a man was the crest of the Visconti family, who ruled Milan in the 13th Century. The two emblems are united over the door of the Sforza castle in the city. An assistant of Merosi's purportedly designed the Alfa badge after seeing the insignia on the Sforza castle while waiting for a bus. The original herladic devices are enclosed in a blue ring, which originally bore the words "Alfa" and "Milano," separaged by two knots which symbolized the royal family. Several changes in the outer ring of the Alfa badge reflect the company's history.

Nicola Romeo's name was added when he bought the company in 1916, and an outer ring of laurel leaves was added in 1925 to symbolize Alfa's first world championship. The word "Milano" was dropped in 1972, when the Alfasud went into production near Napoli. The most recent change was in 1981, when the laurel leaves were dropped, presumably in the spirit of modernization. It was, perhaps, a remarkable decision for a company being founded in 1910 to produce a new technololgy to choose ancient heraldic devices as its insignia. In retrospect, however, that union of of forward and backward views epitomizes the blending of tradition and innovation that makes Alfa Romeos truly different from other automibiles. The four-leaf clover (quadrifoglio) symbol was also apparently one of Merosi's inventions. It appeared on the identification plates of A.L.F.A cars he designed before the first world war. The quadrifoglio first appeared as the symbol of the Alfa Romeo racing team on cars entered in the 1923 Targa Florio.

Alfa Romeo History Alfa Romeo History Tweet Alfa Romeo Automobiles is an italian auto manufacturer founded in 1910 and produces cars under the brand name “Alfa Romeo”. Since 1986, the company is a subsidiary of FIAT Group. The history of the company began in 1906 when frenchman Alexandre Darracq opened an assembly of cars company. It was named Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) – open an Italian company Darrakka. The absence of buyers forced to close production in 1909 and move it to the north. The new plant was opened in the province of Lombardy, in the Portelli town near Milan. Young engineer Ugo Stella became a new director, and had to develop two new engines 24 HP and 12 HP for the future autos. January 1, 1910, it was decided to start production of the first of them, and in June, a new company Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili(abbreviated as ALFA) was founded. Despite of success of their cars, Alfa Romeo once again got into financial crisis.

Rudolf Hrashke tried to take the company out of the crisis, but failed. It was decided to get support from one of the major auto producers. Negotiations were held with Ford and BMW companies, but contract wasn’t signed. As a result, in 1986 an agreement was reached with Fiat, Alfa Romeo joined the corporation. A new ascent strated. Outdated model Alfa Romeo 75 was taken out of production, and replaced with a new Alfa Romeo 155. Other models Alfa Romeo 164 and Alfa Romeo 145 unified with Fiat were also very successful. Alfa Romeo Spider model was in production from 1963 up to 1993. The new Spider was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1994, together with Alfa Romeo GTV model. The production of these cars began a year later. In 1997 Alfa Romeo 156 was awarded the title “European Car of the Year.” In 2001 Alfa Romeo 145 model was replaced by the new Alfa Romeo 147.

In 2007 new sporty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione model was presented to the public. It was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003 as a concept car. In 2008 the production of the city car Alfa Romeo MiTo was launched. Company History | Alfa Romeo Owners Club Alfa Romeo Owners Club THE TEN DECADES OF ALFA ROMEO (Source Alfa Romeo) 1910 – 1920 The Alfa Romeo story started in Milan on 24, June 1910. That was the day a group of entrepreneurs and businessmen took over the Italian Darracq automobile company (based in Portello on the outskirts of Milan) from its French parent company, and called it Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili – A.L.F.A. The new company was formed at a time of economic and social change: the first plastics were being invented, Guglielmo Marconi received the Nobel prize for physics and Alfa’s competitors – Fiat and Lancia – were eleven and three years old respectively. 24 hp The new company began with a winner: the 24 hp.

The mechanical components, performance and driving satisfaction that proved so popular on Alfa’s first car are all features for which the brand was to become famous. The car also cost ‘only’ 12,000 Lire, i.e. £23,000 at today’s prices. The following year it made its racing debut, and it was set to win the Targa Florio when forced to withdraw due to a minor accident when the driver was temporarily blinded by mud. In 1912, Alfa launched the 15-20 hp, and the 40-60 hp arrived in 1913. This car’s six litre engine powered it to second place overall in the Parma-Poggio Berceto hillclimb. Next year, Giuseppe Merosi built the first Alfa Grand Prix car in which driver Giuseppe Campari covered a kilometre at more than 147 km/h. The outbreak of World War One and consequent limited resources brought difficulties for the company. On 2, December 1915 it was taken over by the Neapolitan engineer and entrepreneur Nicola Romeo.

The Portello plant, which employed 2,500 people at the time, was extended to handle military orders. At this time it was producing motor-driven compressors, munitions, aircraft engines and, from 1917, rolling stock. Nicola Romeo With peacetime the company was forced to change again. It sought out new markets, manufacturing drills, tractors and more rolling stock. Although Romeo bought companies in Saronno, Rome and Naples, he did not forget about cars because in 1920 the Torpedo 20-30 hp appeared - the first vehicle to bear the new company name of Alfa Romeo. A 22-year old by the name of Enzo Ferrari secured second place in the Targa Florio at the wheel of one of these cars. 1921 - 1930 Like all other European countries, Italy underwent a political, social and economic crisis during the immediate post-war years. Factories were occupied and currency devalued. The dollar was quoted at little more than five lire in 1914, but rose to nearly 30 lire six years later.

In 1921, Banco Nazionale di Sconto, the main shareholder of Ansaldo in Genoa, Ilva in Piombino and Alfa Romeo, collapsed. The government was forced to intervene and set up a special body (IRI) to subsidise these industries. The following year protesters marched on Rome, and even though the first locomotive built by the company was produced at the Saronno workshop, Alfa Romeo remained in difficulties. The RL model, however, met with considerable success in 1923, when it took first, second and fourth places in the Targa Florio. At the Savio circuit the Baracca family gave Enzo Ferrari the prancing horse symbol that he was later to use on all his own cars. Merosi built the Grand Prix Romeo that later became the P1. Designer Vittorio Jano arrived from Fiat and began work on the P2. P2 Grand Prix car A period of great technical innovation and sporting success then began to unfold. The reliability of Alfa’s engines was indisputable and the talent of its drivers a byword for skill on racetracks across Europe.

Among them were Antonio Ascari, Gastone Brilli Peri, Giuseppe Campari, Enzo Ferrari, Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi. 1931 - 1940 The world economic crisis triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 affected Alfa’s growth and, in 1933, the Italian State’s Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI) was forced to intervene. The same year, the company pulled out of racing and its 8C 2300 B models were entrusted to Ferrari. The results were outstanding when it is considered that Alfa won more races than all other manufacturers during 1934, and in 1936 the company’s sporting activities actually forced standard production to take a back seat! 8C 2900 B Two years later came the 8C 2900 B Lungo. The Touring version of this car was the most representative Alfa of the period; its mighty bonnet an intoxicating symbol of style and power.

Alfa Romeo’s tradition of making standard production models to exactly the same mechanical and engine specifications as their race-winning counterparts really paid off when this car took the first three places in the Mille Miglia. In 1938, Jano resigned and, from then on, racing cars were designed by Gioacchino Colombo and Luigi Bazzi under the supervision of Wilfredo Ricart. Strategic decisions had to be made during this period, and IRI directed Alfa’s manufacturing activities toward commercial vehicles and aero engines. In 1931 the first truck, the Bussing 50, appeared, followed by the 85C and the 350 Diesel, later to be adopted by the Fire Brigade. In 1935, the T85G won an international race for petrol-engined trucks over the Rome-Brussels-Paris route. The delivery of more than 2000 vehicles to the Italian army during its Ethiopian campaign only served to strengthen Alfa Transport’s reputation for reliability.

The truck version of the 500 model offered an excellent payload of 11,000 kg and its bus version won plaudits for styling, passenger comfort and a top speed of 68 km/h. The 110A provided public transport in Rome, Milan and Genoa. Alfa engines were also the world’s best in aviation. They owed their success to the use of state-of-the-art materials such as Duralfa, a light aluminium alloy used to build propellers, pistons, cylinder heads and other components. In 1939 the 135 was unveiled, a twin-row 18-cylinder radial engine that developed nearly 2000 hp and was the most powerful unit of its time. Some 150 of these were produced for the Luftwaffe. The 126, 127 and 128 set and beat 13 flying boat and aircraft world speed, height and distance records.

Aeronautical output accounted for nearly 80 per cent of Alfa’s annual turnover and a new plant was built at Pomigliano d’Arco (Naples) at the end of the decade to meet growing demand, some of it from abroad. This had a positive impact on workforce numbers, which rose from 1000 to 14,000 in the space of seven years. On 10, June 1940, however, Italy joined Germany in World War Two and the company’s ambitious plans were overturned. 1941 – 1950 Like most of the Italian industry, Alfa was forced to carry out war work and its plants suffered from allied bombing raids as a result. Northern Italy also had to contend with the German occupation after September 1943. It was difficult to find raw materials and there was also a fear that entire departments would be transferred to Germany. Yet somehow the company managed to maintain its high engineering standards. In 1942, for example, a three-engined Italian SM75 powered by Alfa 128 units flew the 20,000 kilometres to Tokyo and back.

After a bombing raid on 20 October 1944, however, the Portello plant ceased all activities. After the war, nothing was left standing in which to build aviation engines or buses, let alone cars. So the 8000 Portello employees built electric cookers, steel furniture, fixtures, fittings and blinds – anything that the community needed to rebuild. 6C Villa d'Este Cars were not built again until 1946 when the factory began to turn out pre-war 6C 2500 cars. Out on the track, the company raced 158s salvaged from the ruins. Then the new versions (Freccia d’Oro and Villa d’Este) arrived with their innovative steering wheel-mounted gear shift. Everyone liked them, including VIPs of the period. Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, Prince Ranieri of Monaco and King Farouk of Egypt all owned these cars. In 1950 the 1900 was launched – the first Alfa with a unitary body designed by Orazio Satta Puliga (who joined the company in 1938). Sporting triumphs began to accumulate.

The Alfa 158 enjoyed absolute supremacy in Grands Prix and won the world championship in 1950 with Farina at the wheel. Alfa also resumed production of commercial vehicles, aircraft and marine engines as well as diesel power units for industrial application. In 1948 IRI was reorganised and Alfa passed into the hands of subsidiary holding company, Finmeccanica. These promising events were interspersed with sadder episodes: Ugo Gobbato was mysteriously killed in Milan in 1945 and racing drivers Varzi, Trossi and Wimille all died. 1951 - 1960 As De Gasperi, Adenuer and Schuman laid the foundations for a future European Union, and international politics was dominated by the cold war, the Italians dreamed of prosperity and a time when everyone would own their own car. Only one in every 96 Italians owned a car in 1949. This figure rose to one in 28 in 1958 and one in 11 in 1963.

Italy’s gross domestic product also increased by 6.3 per cent per year between 1955 and 1960. Fangio After the success of the 1900 (some 20,000 were built), Alfa’s automotive business took on an industrial dimension. In 1951, Fangio won the world F1 championship at the wheel of a 159 fitted with the most powerful 1500 cc engine ever built. It produced 425 horsepower and was capable of more than 300 km/h. Immediately thereafter, Alfa decided to withdraw from Grand Prix racing. It continued to compete in other races, however, and produced the lens-shaped ‘1900 Disco Volante’ with a top speed of 225 km/h for this purpose. The Giulietta Sprint Coupé, forerunner of so many successful models, arrived in 1954. This was the must-have 1300 of its day, and nearly 28,000 were sold. The 1955 Spider version was one of the finest open-topped cars of all time.

It was a typically Alfa blend of style, personality and mechanical sophistication that somehow managed to express all the creative enthusiasm and will to thrive that underpinned the Italian economic boom of the early Sixties. The car’s success allowed Alfa to extend its presence overseas. The Giulietta Spider was created in response to demand from the US importer, which ordered 600. The 2000 went into production in 1958. This box-like saloon was joined by a Spider and Coupé. During the following year, production began on a Dauphine utility model (under licence from Renault) in order to maintain production at adequate levels. Production of commercial vehicles and Saviem diesel engines continued at Pomigliano d’Arco. The US jeep-inspired 1900 AR51 (better known as the Matta) was built for the army, while a multi-purpose light commercial vehicle known as the Romeo was built for the general public. In 1956, engineer Filippo Surace joined Alfa Romeo. Twenty years later he would take over from Orazio Satta Puliga.

Alfa Romeo was to be indebted to him for, among other things, the 33, 75, 90 and 164. 1961 – 1970 The Sixties began in a rosy glow of optimism. Italy had just hosted the Olympic Games and was experiencing an economic boom. Alfa Romeo had now become a group with subsidiary companies of its own, and had outgrown the Portello headquarters, which was being swallowed up by all the new building work going on in Milan. The company, therefore, built a new plant at Arese that covered an area of more than 2.5 million square metres, and production was gradually transferred there. A track was also built at Balocco (Vercelli) to test prototypes. Because demand for cars was predicted to rocket, Alfa Romeo also built another site at Pomigliano d’Arco (the first brick was laid on 29 April 1968). Engineer Rudolf Hruska was commissioned to design and build a new car, and thus the Alfasud took shape. Giulia TZ2 One of the most representative cars of that period was the Giulia.

It arrived in 1962 and, like other models, was destined to diversify into an extensive range of saloons and sporting models. More than one million were sold over the next 14 years. To put these figures into context, the company built almost 35,000 cars in total between 1910 and 1955, but total production had risen to around 500,000 cars by 1970. The 2600 also dates from 1962 and was the first Alfa equipped with disc brakes. The Spider 1600 ‘Duetto’ with its ‘cuttlefish’ profile appeared in 1966. It was taken to America on the transatlantic liner Raffaello and was made famous by the feature film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. The 1750 came along the following year to replace the Giulia saloon. It was a fast, safe car with excellent roadholding.

The Giulia Coupé version exhibited at the Montreal International Motor Show in 1967 was a prestigious sports car that was later fitted with a 2500 engine. 33-3 Le Mans In 1968, the company took over a majority shareholding in the Brazilian Fabrica Nacional de Motores (FNM), where it produced trucks and cars such as the 2300 and 2300B (1974-80). In 1963 it also set up a company called Autodelta, under the guidance of Carlo Chiti, to look after all racing activities. The new firm was responsible for producing racing versions of the 33 (2.0 and 3.0 litre) and the 8 and 12 cylinder 3.0 litre boxer engines. Autodelta also produced marine engines and was successful in world powerboat championships. The hard work paid off and, in 1967, a Giulia GTA snatched the European Championship from under the noses of Porsche, BMW and Ford.

Three years later, Alfa collaborated with McLaren to produce a 3.0 V8 engine that was later used by the British team in Formula One. The company serviced aircraft engines (no fewer than 17 were displayed during the International Show at Paris Le Bourget in 1968) and also built them: the J85-13 A power unit was launched in 1970. 1971 - 1980 Socio-political problems and energy crises were the dominant themes of the Seventies. Far-reaching repercussions of the '68 protests led to difficult political times in Italy (the Aldo Moro assassination in 1978) and also to social difficulties (factories were occupied and some managers were injured and even murdered). The economy suffered as a result: inflation went into double figures and car sales dwindled. By 1970, out of 6.6 million cars sold throughout the nine member countries of the EEC, only 1.3 million (or 19 per cent) were Italian.

By 31 August 1971 the Alfa Romeo Group with its 32,500 employees was forced to face up to a difficult economic situation and the problem of insufficient funds. Despite this, it presented new models such as the 2000 saloon (1971), the Alfetta GTV coupé (1974), the Alfetta 2000 TD – the first Italian car with a turbodiesel engine (1976), a new Giulietta (1977) and the top-of-the-range Alfa 6 with its brand new 2500 cc V6 engine (1979). The Alfasud met with a considerable success: 28,000 cars were produced in 1972. It was the company's first front-wheel drive car, and 70,000 were built in 1973. Alfa continued to do well on the race track. The 33 TT 12 won the World Makes Championship (1975) while the 33 SC 12 won the World Sportscar Championship (1977).

In 1978, the Alfa Team tied for third place with Brabham in the Formula One Constructors’ league table. In 1978, Alfa Romeo also signed an agreement with General Electric to build the CF6-32 aircraft engine. The following year it produced the first turbo aero engine to be built in Italy: the 600 bhp AR 318. Luraghi, chairman since 1957, resigned in January 1974. He was replaced for a few months by Ermanno Guani and later by Gaetano Cortesi who stayed until June 1978. Alfa’s top management team was then headed by Ettore Massacesi as Chairman, and Corrado Innocenti as Managing Director. The task of restructuring the business and introducing new manufacturing processes fell to this pair. 1981 - 1990 By 1 January 1981, Alfa Romeo SpA was the parent company of the group and thus responsible for control, finance and strategic planning in four sectors.

In 1985, the Italo-Japanese company Cosmo Ventures Incorporated was set up to sell the Spider 3000 and Alfa 75 in Japan. The following year, an agreement with Chrysler allowed Alfa Romeo to sell the Alfa 164 in North America, where the Spider 2000 and GTV6 2.5 were already present. Yet the financial and market situation became increasingly difficult. IRI decided to sell off the automotive business and so, Alfa Romeo was taken over by the Fiat Group in November 1986. Following that agreement, it was also decided to close down Arna, (Alfa Romeo Nissan Automobili, an Italo-Japanese company set up to produce Alfasud Boxer-engined cars). Alfetta GTV6 The three most representative cars of the decade were the 33 (also launched in Station Wagon and 4x4 versions in 1983), the 90 (1984), the 75 (created to mark the company's 75th birthday) and the 164 in 1987, the first Alfa Romeo produced as part of the Fiat Group.

In the sporting field, the GTV6 became European Touring Champion in 1985, while in 1988 the 75 Turbo Evoluzione was successful in the Italian Speed Touring Championship. Alfa light commercial vehicles also did well. The Italian Customs and Excise became one of the biggest customers for the F12 van. The AR 8 and AR 6 models were offered in no fewer than 24 versions: multipurpose vehicles, school buses, window vans and the Ravello camper van, to name but a few. Alfa Avio was also sold off when IRI's industrial activities were further rationalised. It was initially taken over by Aeritalia, but then in 1996 was aquired by FiatAvio. 1991 - 2000 All conquering 155 The first Alfa Romeo 155 left the Pomigliano plant in 1992, and one year later the V6 TI version won the prestigious DTM, the German Touring Car Championship.

The 145 and 146 three and five-door hatchbacks were introduced, while new Spider and GTV models produced at Arese continued a proud niche model tradition. They feature Alfa’s new 16v production engine. The Proteo concept car was introduced in 1991 while the stylish, sporty Nuvola prototype (1996) hinted at the memory of Nuvolari's sporting triumphs. The SZ and RZ limited production sports cars, based on the 75 3 litre, are launched. Alfa’s famous V6 engine gains a 24 valve head. Great success came with the arrival of the 156 sports saloon, which won the Car of the Year title in 1998. Then came the 166 luxury sedan. The first common-rail diesel engine, the five cylinder 2.4 JTD, was launched by Alfa Romeo in the 156. During 2000, Alfa's 90th birthday was marked by the arrival of the 156 Sportwagon, a fine blend of Alfa Romeo experience, engineering and style.

Alfa's new compact hatchback, the 147, was launched in the autumn of 2000. Its heritage was clearly visible in its dramatic design which took styling cues from some of the most stunning of Alfa Romeo’s cars of the past nine decades. 2001 – 2010 8C Competizione The 147 was awarded the prestigious Car of the Year 2001, adjudicated by top European journalists. Alfa diesel engines become more sophisticated with m-jet technology. The new 159, Brera and Spider ranges were launched with new engines and 4-wheel drive for the higher powered versions. The 8C Competizione was designed as a limited edition flagship sports coupe with only 500 made. The Alfa MiTo B-segment car is launched in 2008. All Alfisti look forward to the 100th anniversary celebrations to be held in 2010.

Alfa Romeo | Italy Alfa Romeo Submitted by admin on Mon, 04/04/2016 - 12:25 Past to Present Alfa Romeo Logo The company that is known today as Alfa Romeo, was established by Cavaliere Ugo Stella in 1907. Stella was from Milan's aristocracy. At the time the Company began, he initiated a partnership with Alexandre Darrcq, a French firm. When the partnership fell through, Stella and his fellow Italian investors moved production to a factory in Portello, a Milan suburb. It was at that time that the Company's name was changed to ALFA. In 1910, ALFA produced the first non-Darracq car. It was designed by Giuseppe Merosi and was named the 24HP for the power that it produced. Merosi went on to design a series of powerful ALFA automobiles, the 40 and 60HP. The Company then entered the auto racing circuit. In 1911, drivers Ranzoni and Franchini drove ALFAs at the Targa Florio.

War When WWI broke out, it stopped ALFA's production for three years. ALFA fell under the direction of Nicholo Romeo, a Neopolitan entrepreneur. He revamped the factory to produce military hardware for the Allied and Italian war effort. During the war years, ALFA made aircraft engines and components, compressors, generators, heavy locomotives and munitions. Many of the wartime products were based on the existing engines that ALFA had built before the war. Romeo took complete control of ALFA when WWI ended. By 1919, car production had resumed. The name of the Company was changed from ALFA to Alfa Romeo in 1920. The first car produced under the new name was the Torpedo 20-30HP. The Company's head designer was still Giuseppe Merosi. Alfa Romeo produced both racing and road cars such as the RL Targa Florio and the 40-60HP. 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Roadster Convertible Stainless.

New Chief Designer In 1923, Giuseppe Merosi was replaced as chief designer by Vittorio Jano, who was lured away from Fiat by Alfa Romeo driver, Enzo Ferrari. The first Alfa Romeo designed by Jano was the P2 Grand Prix. In 1925, it won the World Championship for the Company. Alfa Romeo Spyder in Rome Series Jano developed a series of road cars for Alfa Romeo with small to medium displacement. They were based on the P2 engine and had 4, 6 and 8 inline power plants. The construction was light alloy, they had centrally located plugs, hemispherical combustion chambers, dual overhead cams and two rows of overhead valves on each cylinder bank. Jano always designed powerful and reliable cars. Problems at Alfa Romeo When defense contracts ended in 1928, the Company went broke. Nicholo Romeo left the Company. The government took control and in 1933, rescued Alfa Romeo. At that time Alfa became a national emblem of Mussolini's Italy. World War II During WWII, the factory of Alfa Romeo was completely bombed out. After the war, the Company struggled to survive.

Luxury vehicles were sold out and replaced by mass produced vehicles that were smaller. The Company was then able to get back on solid financial ground. More Financial Woes The 1970's saw Alfa Romeo in dire financial straits once more. When Fiat bought into the Company in 1986, the Italian government ceased to give financial assistance. A new group, Alfa Lancia Spa was formed. It would produce both Alfas and Lancias. Alfa Racing History Many prestigious wins have been recorded by Alfa Romeo in Touring, Fast Touring, Prototypes and Formula 1. Some fantastic victories have also been won by private drivers in rally competition. About Alfa Romeo Email Save The Alfa Romeo story is one of both greatness and mediocrity. Though well known to Americans decades ago for its sporty and stylish cars, declining sales eventually led the company to stop importing cars to the United States. Now, however, Alfa Romeo is set to return stateside for 2014. Read more Alfa Romeo history The Alfa Romeo story is one of both greatness and mediocrity.

Though well known to Americans decades ago for its sporty and stylish cars, declining sales eventually led the company to stop importing cars to the United States. Now, however, Alfa Romeo is set to return stateside for 2014. Alfa Romeo's history actually started with some French lineage, having initially been founded by French entrepreneur Alexandre Darracq who used Italian investors for capital and based the company in Milan, Italy. Initially debuting as Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq, the company struggled through its first few years. By 1910 a new company debuted under the new name ALFA, which stood for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. These early Alfas quickly earned a reputation for leading-edge engineering and design, key attributes confirmed by many motor racing victories. Neapolitan Nicola Romeo took over the company in 1915 and his name was subsequently added to the carmaker's brand. Throughout the 1920s, '30s and '40s, Alfa Romeo produced a number of desirable racing, sports and grand touring automobiles.

Enzo Ferrari was a racecar driver for Alfa during the '20s before switching to managing Alfa's race team. He left the company in 1937 and ultimately founded his own sports car company in the mid-'40s. As far as Alfa, the company nearly went broke and was taken over by the government in the early 1930s. Highlights of that era include the P3, the 8C 2300 and the various 6C models throughout those years. Apart from a production interruption in the mid-'40s due to World War II, this pace continued through the 1950s and '60s, with highlights from these decades being the Giulietta, Giulia and Spider Duetto. The latter, a two-seat roadster that continued into the '90s with minimal changes, gained fame in the states via The Graduate movie that bowed in 1967 and starred a young Dustin Hoffman who drove the sleek sports car. Some two decades later, a less expensive, de-contented version of the Spider called the Graduate was sold alongside the Spider.

The 1970s, '80s and '90s, however were not nearly as glorious in the U.S. Although Alfa Romeo was still turning out stylish sports and grand touring cars such as the Spider, spirited GTV (and later GTV6) sport coupe and luxurious 164 sedan, questionable quality control and iffy reliability doomed sales for the company here. Fiat took over the company in 1986 but that didn't help much. Consequently, Alfa Romeo withdrew from the U.S. market in 1995, though the company was certainly still alive and mostly well in Europe. Things have improved greatly since then, and a fortified Alfa Romeo briefly reappeared in the states in 2008. That year, 84 examples of its limited-production (just 500 total), Maserati V8-powered 8C sports car were made available. As quickly as it had returned, it disappeared again. However, Alfa is set to return to the states for 2014, this time with more than 84 cars to sell to U.S. fans.

This more tangible comeback will happen in grand fashion, as it will herald the arrival of the new 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C , a small, midengine sports car. Incredibly light curb weight (about 2,000 pounds), combined with a feisty, 240-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a well-balanced chassis all but guarantee thrilling performance. Production of the $70,000-plus road burner will initially be limited to just 1,200 for the U.S. market. Hide Alfa Romeo History Model car 1/18 scale Alfa Romeo - Laudoracing Models Sarl 82,90 € 96,90 € Alfa Romeo The origins of the Alfa Romeo have French ancestry and Neapolitan. Alfa Romeo is a car company founded June 24, 1910 in Milan as ALFA (acronym for "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili"). It is known for its production of cars sporty character.

The company is owned by the Italian State, through the IRI since 1933 to 1986, when it was sold to the Fiat group. Starting in February 2007, became a division of Fiat Group Automobiles, on the occasion, the company name became Alfa Romeo Automobiles. The Alfa Romeo has successfully participated in different categories of motor racing. In 1925 he won the first championship of the world of motoring history, while in 1950 and in 1951 won the first two editions of the Formula 1 World Championship. In 1975 and 1977 he won the World Championship instead Sport Prototype. With the Alfa Romeo debuted in competitions Scuderia Ferrari. Our models are developed in close collaboration with Alfa Romeo their engineers provide us with all the necessary documentation to build a loyal project in every detail, the prototypes are ultimately approved by the design center in Turin before starting the production. Sort by Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information!

The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production.

Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Online only Available from 28/02/2017 This product is not yet available The availability date indicated below may be changed without notice. Click here for more information! The model shown in the photo is a prototype, many details will be improved during production. Alfa Romeo Information | CARFAX Go Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo is an Italian automotive nameplate and part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV. Founded as A.L.F.A. in 1910 — translated as Anonymous Lombard Automobile Factory in English — the brand returned to the U.S. market after a 20-year absence.

The 4C is the first of several new models planned for North American distribution. Like so many manufacturers of that era, Alfa rose out of the ashes of a failed automotive enterprise or partnership, specifically one founded by Frenchman Alexandre Darracq and bearing his surname. The Italian plant for Darracq, located just outside of Milan, shut down when the company's partnership with its Italian investors ended. A local aristocrat, Cavaliere Ugo Stella, who was then serving as managing director at the Darracq plant, intervened and moved production to Portello, a plant located near Milan. With funding from other Italian investors, a new company was born — ALFA. The fledgling company immediately began building cars, including the very first Alfa model, the 24 HP, which was powered by a 4.1-liter four-cylinder engine. Other models soon appeared and with Nicola Romeo acquiring majority interest in the company in 1918, the company was renamed Alfa Romeo. Early on, Alfa Romeo established itself as a forward thinking designer of automobiles. The company was also an early participant in motor racing, with the young racing driver Enzo Ferrari lured from Fiat to take over as the lead designer.

Ferrari's influence was immediately felt, but he later left the company to start an automotive enterprise bearing his name. By the late 1920s, Nicola Romeo had also left the company, which later found itself under government control. After the Second World War, Alfa Romeo resumed production and switched to mostly small, mass-production models such as the Giulietta beginning in 1954. Up until the 1950s, no Alfa Romeo models were imported to the United States. That all changed when Max Hoffman, an importer and distributor for Volkswagen in the eastern United States, began to import the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. In 1961, Alfa Romeo assumed import duties and later introduced such models as the Giulietta Spider, the Sprint GT, Duetto and Berlina. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, Alfa Romeo was a niche retailer, producing such models as the 164, which was an executive sedan, as well as the GTV sport coupe and Spider roadster. With sales continuing to fall, Alfa Romeo exited the U.S. market in 1995.

Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. market had been anticipated since 2006 when parent Fiat promised to resume imports. However, it wasn't until Fiat absorbed Chrysler that the brand's aspirations were articulated. Those plans included releasing several new products, beginning with the 4C, a mid-engine sports car and competitor to such models as the Porsche Boxster and the Audi TT. Subsequent models include the Giulia, which is a compact sedan and competitor to the BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS . Other model lines are planned for roll out over the next few years. In the Fiat Chrysler universe, Alfa Romeo operates as the manufacturer's luxury brand, much in the same way as Audi , BMW and Mercedes-Benz are marketed. Other competitors include Infiniti , Cadillac , Acura , Lincoln and Lexus . Volvo , Porsche and Jaguar are also targeted as the marque expands its product line.

Question: In which city was the Alfa Romeo car company founded in 1910?
Answer: Milan